Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-02-18
What's Your Opinion?

oONt AAo OoVS
What's Your Opinion?
AS I turned the corner at Randolph and
State streets, bracing up against the
gentle lake breeze that all Chicagoans love,
I received . tremendous whack upon my
back, that caused me to jump a yard away,
fearing il might be the first installment of
a tumble of some .frc-proof twelve-story
building; but as my hand was grasped and
q CHEEKY voice called out, "Ah, there, old
man! haven't seen you for twenty years."
I saw an old friend and war comrade, Ned
w., of Third Vermont Battery. and realized
danger from falling buildings or cable cars.
After exchanging greetings, and all in
quiries answered, Ned remarked: "Ihave
seen AL, and, by the way, do you re-
member what a fix he got me into in front
of Petersburg, in 1864? Along time ago,
butt comes back to me very forcibly. No?
Well, it was this way:
II often helped Captain Start and Lieu
tenant Phillipes with pay rolls md other
accounts, being a schoolmate and cadet
with P%hillipes. l was known and trusted,
and treated as d companion, and escaped
many rough knocks and hardships that
otherwise I would have had to endure.
"Al was a rough and ready kind of a fell
TOW; brave and generous. He was admired
by Phillipes for his readiness at all times,
and his soldierly department. I think AL
respected the officers, especially the Lieu
tenant, as the finest men he ever met. With
all his soldierly ways and courage he had
but few true friends. I was one that failed
to appreciate him. There were strange
uinEc and lpnuipo 1ool.c op6 u,bicpor;puc
that AL had often robbed the dead upon the
battlefield. After a battle had been fought
he was seen to be absent from his tent at
night, and was known to nave watches,
rings, money, etc. Nothing was definitely
or positively known, but you know soldiers,
Judging from appearances, OR instinct, as to
mans caliber, are seldom wrong. So in
this case; We simply guessed, and did not
care to be very familiar or intimate. AL was
keen and shrewd. When we were brigaded
with General Feraro's negroes he was very
indignant, but took his revenge out by sell
ing walls of whisky to the colored boys at
ST. per bottle, thereby making about SIG
per canteen. This he did all summer,
making about $3.50. By telling you these
things you get an insight into the mans
character, and you can make your own in
ferences as to the following:
"One afternoon 1 was very busy copying
my reports when Al called and told me of
q funny little adventure he had had that
day, ending by saying he had q plug hat
and linen buster he would give me, and,
say, Ned, let's fool Start by Disgusting as
an escaped Union man from Petersburg.
You go up about six o'clock and fool them.
This l did, and had a hearty laugh on the
a abont Captain. I remained with him till
front say;no was standing at his tent
denly pounced i1 upon right i; when I was sud
claimed: Here he is! iH}e esd men whe ef;
and the next moment the Marshal lex: ~ 81.
hand upon me and arrested me.
For what?' I demanded.
oh, here's the sutler; he'll tell YOU
"Al our officers had come out and made
inquiries as to the cause. The sutler cam,
up, and, with many oaths and hard names
called me a dirty thief and
But before he could say more Lieuten.
ant Phillipes sprang out of his tent ani
knocked him to the ground.
Il arrest you, Lieutenant!' exclaimed
the Marshal.
"sVery we'll, sir. But let me tell YOU
Sir, l am next in command here, and THU
young man is a personal friend. He mus
De treated as a gentleman. If the sutler
who robs our soldiers, can not sneak tt
him with courtesy, he shall get his punish
ment from n who does not fear you o,
l m and will not see his friends insulted
Why do you arrest my clerk?'
"lhe sutler arose and told the follow
"1 have been robbed! I have ius,
brought from City Point q lotof dried beef
cheese, butter, and bologna. 1 was wait.
ing upon the boys in front Of the store,
not watching the rear. I happened to look
that way and saw a tub of butter Just dis.
appearing. l looked and saw that abou,
thirty pounds OF beef, a lot Of canned fruit
bologna, and my pocketbook containing
nearly three hundred dollars were gone. ]
gave the alarm and ran through the hole
cut IN the tent. l saw a man with a sacl
on his back, running this way. We fol.
loved out lost sight of him III that grove
iby your artillery horses, but here we found
How doyouknow, sir?' exclaimed Cap.
tain Start.
'How do I know! Captain, the thief
had a plug hat and wore q linen duster-
this man wears EN- .
After o long talk, to no purpose, the
Marshal concluded to hold an examination
then and there. The result was that. on
evidence of all the officers and a dozen
men, that l had been in the Captains tent
for hours, and after a good deal of argu-
ment, l was let out, and just as 1 said,
THANK YOU Rolfe exclaimed, Look over
there!!'
There in the shadow of the trees, about
a hundred yards away, mounted upon Il
powerful horse, sat q man with a plug hat
and linen buster. As soon as he was sure
we were looking at him he raised a large
bag, waved it at us, then, urging his horse
into o sharp gallop, disappeared in the
darkcning twilight"
"Wel!n
"No, that is not all. Of course I can't
swear it was al, but when we moved down
70 the ass, into Fort Hill, Rean's Station,